Outline the behaviourist approach. Compare the behaviourist approach with the
psychodynamic approach (16 marks)
The behaviourist approach assumes that we learn through experience, as a result of forming
associations. This occurs firstly through classical conditioning where a response becomes
conditioned to a neutral stimulus. The neutral stimulus is paired with an unconditioned
stimulus that causes an unconditioned response. Through multiple pairings, the
unconditioned response is conditioned to the neutral stimulus, which becomes the
conditioned stimulus. This is affected by certain variables such as temporal contiguity as this
is only formed if the time between the presentation of the neutral stimulus and unconditioned
stimulus is short enough. This concept was researched by Pavlov who studied classical
conditioning in dogs. The response of salivation was associated with a bell through multiple
pairings of the bell and food, which was the unconditioned stimulus that caused the
unconditioned response of salivation. He found that the dog would salivate just in presence
of the bell after forming this association which supports the concept of classical conditioning.
Additionally, the behaviourist approach uses the concept of operant conditioning to explain
the maintenance of behaviours. This is based on the principles that behaviours which cause
undesirable consequences are less likely to be repeated whereas behaviours that cause
desirable consequences are more likely to be repeated. This was studied by Skinner who
investigated rats who would receive a food pellet when pressing a lever, and he found that
they were likely to repeat this because it was rewarding whereas if they were given an
electric shock they were less likely to repeat the behaviour that caused it since it was a
punishment. The idea that behaviours are reinforced can be through positive reinforcement
where a behaviour is repeated because it produces a pleasant and rewarding consequence
or through negative reinforcement where a behaviour is repeated because it removes an
unpleasant consequence. Behaviours also can be reduced through positive and negative
punishment. Positive punishment is where behaviour that results in a punishment is added to
a situation because of the behaviour while negative punishment is where a behaviour leads
to punishment by removing a positive consequence, therefore making the behaviour less
likely to occur.
A difference between the behaviourist and psychodynamic approach is that the behaviourist
approach uses extrapolation in research while the psychodynamic approach focuses on
research using human case studies. This can be seen in the behaviourist approach since the
key principles of the approach are focused on research on animals. This is evident in Pavlov
and Skinner’s research since both studies were conducted on animals and the findings were
then generalised to humans. This differs from the psychodynamic approach since in the
psychodynamic approach, much of Freud’s research used case studies of humans and
attempted to understand factors like the unconscious mind which was something that is
difficult to investigate in animals. This indicates that extrapolation within this approach is
much more minimal since it focuses on considering cognitive factors and human
development through the psychosexual stages. Alternatively, the behaviourist approach
takes a more simplistic approach in its explanations so uses animals to understand its basic
concepts and generalises this to humans without fully considering the cognitive variations
between humans and animals, therefore minimizing this much more than the psychodynamic
approach which has a much greater emphasis on the uniquely human aspects of it.
Therefore, the foundations of the research within these two approaches vary significantly
psychodynamic approach (16 marks)
The behaviourist approach assumes that we learn through experience, as a result of forming
associations. This occurs firstly through classical conditioning where a response becomes
conditioned to a neutral stimulus. The neutral stimulus is paired with an unconditioned
stimulus that causes an unconditioned response. Through multiple pairings, the
unconditioned response is conditioned to the neutral stimulus, which becomes the
conditioned stimulus. This is affected by certain variables such as temporal contiguity as this
is only formed if the time between the presentation of the neutral stimulus and unconditioned
stimulus is short enough. This concept was researched by Pavlov who studied classical
conditioning in dogs. The response of salivation was associated with a bell through multiple
pairings of the bell and food, which was the unconditioned stimulus that caused the
unconditioned response of salivation. He found that the dog would salivate just in presence
of the bell after forming this association which supports the concept of classical conditioning.
Additionally, the behaviourist approach uses the concept of operant conditioning to explain
the maintenance of behaviours. This is based on the principles that behaviours which cause
undesirable consequences are less likely to be repeated whereas behaviours that cause
desirable consequences are more likely to be repeated. This was studied by Skinner who
investigated rats who would receive a food pellet when pressing a lever, and he found that
they were likely to repeat this because it was rewarding whereas if they were given an
electric shock they were less likely to repeat the behaviour that caused it since it was a
punishment. The idea that behaviours are reinforced can be through positive reinforcement
where a behaviour is repeated because it produces a pleasant and rewarding consequence
or through negative reinforcement where a behaviour is repeated because it removes an
unpleasant consequence. Behaviours also can be reduced through positive and negative
punishment. Positive punishment is where behaviour that results in a punishment is added to
a situation because of the behaviour while negative punishment is where a behaviour leads
to punishment by removing a positive consequence, therefore making the behaviour less
likely to occur.
A difference between the behaviourist and psychodynamic approach is that the behaviourist
approach uses extrapolation in research while the psychodynamic approach focuses on
research using human case studies. This can be seen in the behaviourist approach since the
key principles of the approach are focused on research on animals. This is evident in Pavlov
and Skinner’s research since both studies were conducted on animals and the findings were
then generalised to humans. This differs from the psychodynamic approach since in the
psychodynamic approach, much of Freud’s research used case studies of humans and
attempted to understand factors like the unconscious mind which was something that is
difficult to investigate in animals. This indicates that extrapolation within this approach is
much more minimal since it focuses on considering cognitive factors and human
development through the psychosexual stages. Alternatively, the behaviourist approach
takes a more simplistic approach in its explanations so uses animals to understand its basic
concepts and generalises this to humans without fully considering the cognitive variations
between humans and animals, therefore minimizing this much more than the psychodynamic
approach which has a much greater emphasis on the uniquely human aspects of it.
Therefore, the foundations of the research within these two approaches vary significantly
